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Karate for Kids: The Ultimate Guide to Introducing Your Child to Shotokan Karate with a Perfect Blend of Fun and Discipline!
Karate is not just a martial art; it's a way of life that instills discipline, respect, and self-confidence in children..
Black Belt Team
Sep 13, 2024


Cover Story Throwback: Ernie Reyes Jr.
2024 Black Belt Hall of Fame Inductee Ernie Reyes Jr. is the featured throwback, having graced the cover of the May 1991 issue. At just...
Black Belt Team
Sep 12, 2024


Karate History: Naha-Te vs. Shuri-Te
Karate practitioners with any interest in the historical roots of their art will be familiar with the terms Naha-te and Shuri-te..
Dave Lowry
Sep 11, 2024


Combat Shotokan: Reviving Karate’s Self-Defense Roots in a Sport-Focused Era
Like most martial arts, karate originated as a system that was designed for hand-to-hand combat.
Emil Farkas
Sep 10, 2024


5 Ways to Make Your Students Better at Kata
A great kata performance must combine precision, flow, power and spirit, and good students spend considerable time and energy
Ernest Cadorin
Sep 7, 2024


Embracing Mistakes in Martial Arts: Lessons from Kappa, Kendo, and Aikido
Kappa are curious beasts of Japanese mythology. With the body of a human and the shell and beak of a turtle, they live..
Dave Lowry
Sep 4, 2024


Karate Illustrated Cover Story Throwback: Jerry Piddington
Jerry Piddington graced the 1974 issue of Karate Illustrated Magazine described in that article by his fellow karateka as "one crazy dude"
Black Belt Team
Sep 1, 2024


Unveiling the Mystique of Martial Arts: From Ancient Origins to Modern Influence
Martial arts have fascinated humanity for millennia, blending physical prowess with mental discipline in a way that transcends mere combat.
Black Belt Team
Sep 1, 2024


Karate vs. Kung Fu: The Ultimate Showdown of Martial Arts Mastery
Let's delve into the history, similarities, and differences between these two martial arts to determine which might suit you best...
Black Belt Team
Aug 26, 2024


Karate vs. Taekwondo: Discover the Differences Before You Choose
When it comes to martial arts, few disciplines are as widely recognized and practiced as Karate and Taekwondo.
Black Belt Team
Aug 22, 2024


Shotokan from the Source: Kyle Funakoshi Karate Master from Indisputable Lineage
If there’s such a thing as karate DNA, the Funakoshi family must have it in spades..
Robert Young
Aug 7, 2024


Event of the Week: The Internationals
The Long Beach International Karate Championships is an international karate and martial arts tournament first launched in Long Beach...
Black Belt Team
Aug 3, 2024


Shiro Saigo's Approach to Defeating Much Larger Opponents
SAIGO lived and thrived in the tumultuous era of Japan’s early modernization. Jigoro Kano’s Kodokan was emerging as an influential force...
Black Belt Team
Jul 29, 2024


Navigating the Maze That Is the Japanese Language
Those giant mazes, made of hedges or carved from cornfields and designed so that you have to wind your way through..
Dave Lowry
Jul 25, 2024


Black Belt Cover Story Throwback: Hidy Ochiai
The 1980 Black Belt Magazine cover featured world-renowned Master Hidy Ochiai who brought Wa-shin Ryu Karate-Do, from Japan to the US in...
Black Belt Team
Jul 25, 2024


Take Your Dojo to a Higher Rank in 3 Easy Steps!
I’ve run martial arts schools for many years. Like most school owners during the days before Google and Bing, I depended on listings in...
Floyd Burk
Jul 24, 2024


Black Belt Magazine Cover Story Throwback: Cobra Kai
Throwback cover from the February/March 2021 edition features the cast of Cobra Kai--Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Martin Kove!
Black Belt Team
Jul 18, 2024


Martial Arts Worldview: Training in Hapkido, Watching 'Billy Jack' and Becoming a Sheepdog
As a 23-year-old graduate student in Middle America in the early 1970s, I was hungry for whatever I could learn about the Asian martial arts
James D. Brewer
Jul 18, 2024


Do Karate Students Need to Know About the Japanese Sword?
In short, karate and swordsmanship are both fighting arts, but there’s little in the way of technical or strategic overlap..
Black Belt Team
Jul 16, 2024


Fighting Stars Cover Story Throwback: Angela Mao Ying
The October 1974 cover of Fighting Stars featured a 22-year-old Angela Mao Ying in her unforgettable role as Bruce Lee's sister...
Black Belt Team
Jul 14, 2024


The Sword Behind the Smile: Samurai Poker Face
I remembered one that I heard as a child: umi no uchi no katana, “the sword behind the smile...
Dave Lowry
Jul 9, 2024


Positional Setup: Win More Fights By Predicting Opponents Next Moves
How many times have you entered the ring at a martial arts competition and faced your opponent and had no idea what he or she was about.....
Perry William Kelly
Jul 8, 2024


Karate Illustrated Cover Throwback: Donnie Williams
It was through his involvement in karate that Donnie Williams ventured into the world of movies...
Black Belt Team
Jul 7, 2024


Event of the Week: US Open
Entering its 40th year the Tournament has become one of the most influential and prestigious tournaments...
Black Belt Team
Jul 6, 2024
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